Formula One World Championship: Japanese Grand Prix

We’re entering the final stretch of the Formula One World Championship as the teams visit Suzuka in Japan for the sixteenth of nineteen races in 2010. The drivers’ title race is the most exciting we’ve had in years with five drivers separated by just 25 points with 100 points available for winning the final four races of the season. Who will claim victory this weekend?

All five drivers’ title challengers will believe that they stand a chance of winning this race, with Sebastian Vettel (race winning odds are 2.85) the most confident after winning the 2009 event. His team-mate, and current drivers’ championship leader, Mark Webber (available at 5.00) will also be buoyed by the success of his team-mate last season and he will be looking to extend his advantage over the chasing pack. However, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso (3.75) is the man in form at the moment and he has won both of the last two races and three of the last five. Also in the race are the two McLaren drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button (available at 4.50 and 12.00 respectively). Hamilton has not finished either of the last two races and has slipped 20 points behind Webber, while Button has finished 2nd and 4th in those two races to move to within 5 points of his team-mate.

The Suzuka track is one of the most demanding tracks on the Formula One calendar and every aspect of the car is tested during the race. None of the Red Bull, Ferrari or McLaren cars have the perfect balance for this race, with all of them having certain characteristics of the best car for this circuit. As a result of this, the race win could go to any of the five drivers, especially as rain showers are predicted for the full weekend.

The Red Bull drivers have the best aerodynamic efficiency of the championship challengers; while McLaren have the most powerful engine and Ferrari have the best of both worlds with their engine only slightly less powerful than the Mercedes engine in the McLaren and their aerodynamics vastly improved in recent times to be only slightly inferior to the Red Bull car. Add to this the fact that Alonso has won two of the last four Japanese Grand Prix, he will be confident of another win to aid his title challenge, but we’re backing a Lewis Hamilton win as the McLaren driver will be desperate to win after his two retirements in the last two races. His car and skill in the wet are also better than the other four drivers and should it rain as predicted then his odds will certainly drop and we’re backing him now at odds of 4.50.